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Ramblings — Musings — Cynical conversation

The Velvet Night

Have you ever gone outside on a clear night and just looked straight up? Have you ever wondered what’s really up there? I love to take advantage of clear nights, and thankfully I live far enough way from light pollution that when it’s clear, it feels like you can see forever. The Winter Sky is my favorite, with Orion and Antares and the Pleiades and Gemini and Ursa Major all vying for your attention. I never studied astronomy in school, I never aspired to be an astronomer or astrophysicist (though I’d really like to meet Neil DeGrasse Tyson), it’s been more like a hobby. I know that stars twinkle, but planets don’t, so that’s how you can tell which is which. I can pick out some constellations and individual stars, and maybe one day I’ll get a telescope so I can see more than I’m able to now with only my eyes or my grandfather’s binoculars to aide me. I’d love to see what the Orion Nebula really looks like.